Folded blank box



Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFVFICE' 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in folded blank boxes formed by bending a single blank of sheet material along predetermined fold lines to provide a box comprising bottom, side and end walls and ioldable corner portions integrally connecting the side and end walls at each end of the box. The invention is particularly concerned with boxes of this type in which each end wall comprises inner and outer end wall sections and in which the foldable corner sections are connected between the side walls and the outer end wall sections and are confined, in folded condition, between the inner and outer sections of the end walls during erection of the blank in box formation.

An important object of the invention is to provide a box of the type referred to wherein parts of the blank which require to be folded over and permanently secured to other parts of the blank to provide for the desired releasable interlocking of the side and end walls of the box through the agency of the ioldable corner portions are permanently secured in their folded position solely by adhesive, thereby eliminating the use of metal stapling or metal stitching and providinga box which can readily be formed on available automatic box blank folding and gluing machines and which can be set up and collapsed with greater ease and less damage to the material of the box than similar boxes heretofore available.

Another object is to provide a box of the character described in which improved means are provided for securing the inner end wall sections of the box in place in the set-up condition of the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box of the character described in which the inner end wall sections are adhesively secured.

to the outer end wall sections and are creased in a novel manner to permit the necessary relative movement between the hingedly connected parts of the foldable corner portions during both the setting up and collapse of the box.

Other objects, characteristicfeatures and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed. description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

l is a plan View of the blank from which my improved box is formed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner which parts of the blank are machinedclded and glued to other parts of the blank to facilitate subsequent setting up and collapse of the box.

Figs. 3 to 5 inclusive are fragmentary perspective views illustrating, the successive steps involved in erecting the ,blankinto box formation. Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary perspective views illustrating slight modifications of the invention.

Referring to Figure l, 5 designates a blank provided with score lines defining a bottom wall Eacheorner portion ll comprises a part I 2 joine dto a side wall, section l along line l3 and another part it joined to the adjacent end wall section 9 along score line i5. The parts l2 and M of each corner portion are partially separated along the diagonal slit l5 and are hinged togeth-' central portionlfi along the score lines l8. These portions 59 and 29 of each inner end wall section It are provided with separateflap extensions 2i joined thereto along score lines 22. The mannerinwhich the blank is. formed into a box is illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive.

The side wall sections 7 are folded inwardly along the score line 24 to overlie the bottom wall 6, as shown in Fig. 2 At the sarnetime, corner sections ll are folded inwardly along the score lines it) to overlie the outer end walls 9, as also shown in Figure 2. During this operation, the parts in of the corner portions H are firmly united to theunclerlying end wall sections 9 by means of the paste or adhesive indicated at 25 in Fig. l. The inner end wall sections Hi are now folded inwardly along the score lines 26 to overlie both the outer end wall sections 9 and the infolded corner portions H, as also shown to advantage in Figure 2. The central portions E9 of the infolded end wall sections til are firmly united to theportions ll of the iniolded corner sectionsv H by means of adhesive indicated at 2?. If desired, the central portions l s of the infolded inner end wall sections iii may also be glued directly to the central portions of the end wall sections 9.

The foregoing operations complete the folding and the pasting of the blank into box formation but leave the box in the fiat or collapsed condition shown in Fig. 4. In setting up the box the end portions formed by the end wall sections 9 and ID are bent upwardly along the crease lines 29, as shown in Figure 3. During this operation the parts I2 and I4 of the corner portions II fold together alon the hinge connection I! so that the part I2 lies flat against the part I 4 at the outer side of the hinge connection I! when the wall sections 9 and II] are brou ht to the perpendicular pos tion shown in Figures 4 and 5. This foldin of the corner port ons II during the erection of the end walls of the box causes the side wall sections I at each side-"of -the"'box' to' 'be swung 'npwardlv and outwardlv along the-crease lines'24 oining' the side walls sect ons 1 to the bottom wall section 6. When the box is in its fully set up condition. the arts I2 and I4 of each mrner section II are folded flatly together and lie between the outer end wa l sections l and' the inner end wall sections I0. Obviously the relative movement which takes pa'cebetw'een' "the parts I 2 and I l of the corner portions il dui ing the erection of the side"and end walls of the box to the fully set-up cond tion shown nFigb wou d not be possib e if the portions 26 of the inner end wall-sections Illwereincapable of movement relative-tdthecentral port on I9. It is 'for this reason that the end wallsections Ill are provided with'dia on-al crease nes-I8 to provide the movable-end portions 20 wh ch a e movable in relationto' the central-p rtion I 9 so as to take care-of the necessary re at ve mo ement between thepa ts I2 an'l' M-o the corner sections II during the setting upof-the box.

Tn the nal set-u condit on of theb o the fiaos 2! ned to the portions" en -"25 of the end wall se tions l l' ared sno ed in an in ardly extending hor ontalnostion r ting flatly on the bottom wall '6 as shownin' 5 with the outer ends otthe 'fiaps 'of'the portions 28 abuttin a a nst the side wa ls" I of'the inner ends of said fla s butted' a ainst the ends of the flan M of the portion 'IB. In'the present instance. the ends of thafiap' 2! of'the central portion I 9 of each end wal I0- and the b tting ends of the flaps '2I of the portions I9 are shown rnitredor cut at-anian l but it will be understood that'these abuttin en s of the several flaps may be straight. 'The-fiaps- 2! of the portions Is and 20 of the end wan sections I0 serve, when arran ed as- -shownin Fig. 5,

to lock the free port ons-28 of the end walls I Oagainst casual dis lacement. These-flaps 21 a so serve to strengthen and reinforce the-end portion of the'box.

In the slight modification showncin Fig.- 6. the diagonal crease lines I8 of .each endwall sect on II] meet at-their' convergent ends and only the end portions 20 'of'these wall sections are provided with'thelocking'flaps-2I. In this case the inner ends of theflapsZI of the portions 20 are butted together-as-shown in Fig. 6 with the outer ends of the flaps buttedagainst the inner surfacesof theside walls I.

The modificationishown in Fig; 7 is-the same as that shown'in Fig. 6 except that the sidesof the box are made 'of' two 'ply' thickness'and include inner side'walls 'Ia" hingedlyjoined at their upper edges to'theside'w'aHs I which, in this case, constitute the outer side wall sections of the box.

Having'thus described the nature" and several preferred embodiments 'of"my"invention, it will be understood that the presentdisclosureis intended to be illustrative rather 'than' limiting and that various I'modific'ations may "be: resorted to within the scope and spirit of the invention defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A box blank of the character described comprising a sheet of flexible material creased to define a bottom wall section, a side wall section hinged to each of the side edges ofsaid bottom wall section, an outer end wall section hinged to each of the end edges of said bottom WalPsection, an inner end wall section of substantially thesame dimensions a'san outer end wall section hinged to each of said outer end "wall sections, a plurality of relatively movable .lockingflap sections with their adjacent ends 'in"abutting relation with respect to each other w inged toaeach of-"said inner end wall sections along an edge thereof which is parallel to the adjacent end edge of said bottom wall section,

each inner end wall section being provided with a pair of diagonal crease ilnes extending thereacross and converging towards the edge of the inner end wall section to which'the'locking flap sections are attached and each oi said crease lines intersecting a line of juncture between abutting ends of adjacentlocking flap sections at tion, inner end wall sections of substantially the same height as said outer end wall sections havmg their upper edges joined to the upper edges of said outer endwall sections, a plurality of relatively movable locking flap sections'with their adjacent ends in abutting relation with respect to each other joined to the lower edge of each inner end wall section and disposed in a horizontal position onthe bottom wall section, each inner end wall section being providedwith a pair of diagonal crease lines converging towards the lower edge of said section and each of said crease lines intersecting a line of juncture between abutting encs'of adjacent locking flap sections at the lower edge of the inner end wall section, and foldable corner sections integrally connecting said side wall sections to said outer end wall sections at each corner of the box, each of said corner sec-tions comprising two hingedly connected parts folded together in superimposed relation and disposed in place between the-outer and inner end wall sections of the box.

3. A substantially flat, collapsed box of the character described comprising a sheet of flexible material creased to define a bottom wall section, a side wall section hinged to each of the side edges of said bottom wall section, an outer end wall section hinged to each of the end edges of said bottom wall section, an inner end wall section of substantially the same dimensions as an outer end wall section hinged to each of said the inner end wall section to which the locking flap sections are attached and each of said crease lines intersecting a line of juncture between abut ting ends of adjacent locking flap sections at said edge of the inner end wall section, and foldable corner sections joining the ends of each outer end wall section to the adjacent ends of the side wall sections, each of said corner sections comprising a first part hinged to an end of an outer end wall section and a second part hinged to said first part and to an end of a side Wall section, said first part being attached to the outer end wall section at a point remote from the end thereof and attached to that portion of the adjacent inner end wall section which lies between said crease lines.

DAVID H. SHAPIRO.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

